Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-25
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
u View of the State Half 81 Century Back.
Texas Then and Texas Now.
BONHAM, TEX, March II, 1851


To the Editor of the Gazette.
Fifty years ago this day my father and
family arrived on this prairie where the
staid old town CT Bonham now stands
Then there were only two families within
ten miles OF this place, there being but
fringe OF settlers On Red river N the
limits of what is now Fannin county, and
it may seem strange to many people who
only recently came into Texas TO make it
their home, when | remark that line
from Gainesville, Tex, southwest to the
Rio GrandG, thence north to Red river,
thence down that river to point north
west from Gainesville, die not contain
village, to say nothing of L town or city.
" nat a wonderful change has taken place!
To YHs and cities springing up as if by
magic, almost; where the buffalo, the
elk, the deer and numberIess other ami
mals roamed at pleasure over the prairles
in their primitive beauty, now we
see the busting city, the
thriving town, the prosperous farm.
Seeing an article published some time
since in your paper from the pen OF an old
timer of Tarrant, reminded me that had
been here a longer time still than he, but
for the fact of my being here IN '37 | take
no credit to myself, Of course, as l was
only a little boy of ten years of age; still
was delighted to be here, but l must adj
NIT that when the Indian war came on
two years after the scene was rather
changed, when we had to take guns into
the field when we plOwed the corn.
But to return to the article mentioned
as having appeared in THE GAZETTE, in
which many familiar names were men
toned, among them the Jolly sutler at
Fort Worth Wlen it was 8 military post,
and well | knew Alex Young, for that was
the settlers name raised in the Quaker
| City, and Lieutenant Bold, who fought his
way up from the ranks to shoulder straps,
and the brave old Major Byrd, who estab-
| ushed Byrd'S Fort, Old General Tarrsnt,
/ in whose honor your county was named,
| the lsmented JOnn B. Denton, who lost
! his life a. the hands of the red men. Here
was master man. With no education
when married, by dlnt OF perseverance, he
! became passsbly good scholar, and for
! felvid elOquenCe in the pulpit has rarely
! been cqusied. Many others were named
who were remembered with pleasure.
Nearly al the people who became settlers
in Peters Colony passed by my fathers
house; many passed by again, leaving the
| CCuulIyy IuluGu III ltdlLu dS well d5 IOl-
tune. Several couples came from the
/ Byrd's Fort settlement here to be married,
there being neither officer to issue IL
cense nor officer to perform the Cere-
mony there. And, by the way, more
than forty years ago your humble servant
issued these mIsSives for the County
Clerk of old Fannin while he was
surveying land for the incoming citizens
to-day he is doing the same and kindred
things in the County Clerks office.
During the turbulent year of 1852 for
Peters Colony lived in Mckinney, and
when the storm against Henry o. Hedge
COKE, the agent of the company, broke
forth, and General John J. Good of Dallas
marched up to Collin to capture the
archives they were in my possession, but
| was only passive actor in that affair.
| took care never to speak of this little
episode when in Dallas for good many
years after that, but l suppose the Gen
eraI would laugh st the mention of the
incident now.
With many good wishes for TIE GA
ZETTE, am very truly, r, INGLE.